One common type of storage battery comprises a top terminal post design battery which typically includes a pair of terminal posts extending from a top surface of the battery. In batteries having top terminal posts, the terminal posts are made of a conductive material, e.g., a lead alloy material, with a cylindrical or frusto-conical shape. An electrical connection is typically made between the top terminal posts of the battery and an electrical conduit by a terminal post connector.
A variety of types of terminal post connectors are available to connect the electrical conduit to the battery in automotive type applications. Some of these include a conventional connector comprising a molded, generally U-shaped device with a bolt passing through the outwardly projecting yoke-like arms for securely clamping the connector to the battery post. Such connectors are usually die cast from lead or brass-lead alloy or other materials such as zinc alloy or copper alloy. Because of the bulky nature of these terminal post connectors, the top surface of the battery is further limited in terms of having available space for mounting at least one battery component or unit thereto.
As batteries become more advanced and continue to offer additional features to the consumer, manufacturers are investigating and are currently using battery units which are designed to operate by drawing power from the battery itself. These units are ideally located proximate the battery itself and more preferably would be attached to the terminal posts and be disposed on the top surface of the battery. In addition, manufacturers are investigating using electronic battery units which offer the consumer a number of safety and performance features. Such an electronics unit would be electrically connected to the battery and thus it would be advantageous to mount the electronics unit directly on the battery itself. As batteries become more and more advanced and continue to offer more functions and added performance, it is increasingly more important to use such external battery units.
Because of a considerable tolerance between battery posts of conventional batteries, it is very difficult to mount any type of unit directly to one or more of the top terminal posts of the battery. In other words the distance between the terminal posts themselves can vary from one battery to another and the location on the top surface of the battery where the terminal posts are formed may also vary from one battery to another. These tolerances between battery posts present difficulties for the manufacturer of a battery unit which is to be electrically connected to the terminal posts of the battery. Consequently, the battery units have commonly been mounted external to the battery, that is in a remote location proximate the battery, and then electrically connected to one or more of the terminal posts by using an electrical cable assembly and any necessary terminal connectors which provide the electrical connection between the terminal posts and the battery unit. The use of cabling and terminal connectors to remotely mount the battery unit takes up additional space in the compartment in which the battery is located and also adds complexity and increases costs for the overall mounting process.
Accordingly, there is a perceived need for the development of an external package unit which is intended to house mechanical and electrical components and be easily mounted to the top of the battery and also accommodate existing tolerances between the battery terminal posts.